Academic Standards and Regulations - Credit Hour

Credit Hour Limitation

Students may not carry more than 18 credit hours in one semester without approval of their dean.

First-year students and sophomores ordinarily are not given permission to carry excess hours.

Students on academic probation may be required to reduce their number of semester hours.

Students with outside employment are urged to carry reduced programs of study so as to ensure sufficient time for the academic preparation needed in obtaining their education.

Students who carry excess credit hours without the requisite permission may be denied the application of these credits toward their degree.

Credit by Examination

Loyola University Chicago subscribes to three plans whereby undergraduate students may obtain credit and/or advanced placement for college-level studies completed by examination:

Advanced Placement Program (AP),

College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and

International Baccalaureate (IB).

All AP and IB examinations must be completed before a student matriculates to the University. Official test scores must be submitted via the Undergraduate Admission Office or the Adult & Transfer Center and verified by the Office of Registration and Records within 30 days of matriculation. http://www.luc.edu/academics/catalog/undergrad/reg_transfercrpol.shtml

Students may take CLEP examinations after they have matriculated, but only if they:

are not within 30 credit hours of graduation;

have not previously completed, failed, or received credit from Loyola University Chicago (transfer or otherwise) in a comparable or more advanced course in the specific examination area;

will not receive comparable credit in the CLEP examination area in the same term the examination is taken or in a subsequent term.

All official CLEP examination scores must be provided to the Office of Registration and Records at least one semester prior to anticipated graduation.

Repetition of Courses

Students may repeat a course in which they previously received a passing grade only with the specific authorization of their academic dean. Such repetition may be required if students received a "D+" or lower grade in a course in the major or minor field (e.g., biology courses only for biology majors), or if specific departmental regulations so require.

Authorization to repeat courses merely to improve the grade will rarely be given. The grade in a repeated course does not replace the original grade earned. The grades in both courses are averaged together. For example, if a student received a "D+" in a 3-hour course and a "B-" in the repeat, the quality points are added together (12.00) and divided by the total hours of both courses (6.00). This provides the course grade point (2.00).

In an authorized repetition of a course the student will not receive credit hours toward graduation for both courses. The student will only receive credit hours toward graduation for equivalent to one of the courses (3 hours) since credit hours in the course have already been earned. The repeated course, however, is counted for attempted hours and quality points for the accurate computation of grade point average for the term in which it is taken.

A student who repeats a course without permission of the dean earns neither credit hours nor quality points for the repeated course.

Enrollment in Courses

While academic advising is available the Office of University Advising and in each school and college, each student is responsible for developing an accurate and appropriate schedule of classes each term. Students are allowed to change their registrations in conformity with the guidelines established by the Office of Registration and Records and the Bursar's office. Students are responsible for maintaining the accuracy of their enrollment and understanding the academic and financial consequences of adding or withdrawing courses.

Registration

No one is permitted to attend any class without first officially registering for that class. Students may not register for classes after the late registration period. A fee is charged for late registration.

Registration at Loyola University Chicago is done through the LOCUS on-line registration system. For specific information on registration, please refer to www.luc.edu/regrec.

Registering for Courses at Another University or College

A degree candidate at Loyola University Chicago may not register for a course at another university or college during any term including summer except with the previous written consent of the appropriate dean or the Office of the Core Curriculum for core courses. Course work completed elsewhere without prior written permission will not be accepted for transfer credit. Transfer credit will not be accepted for courses taken elsewhere while the student is simultaneously enrolled at Loyola.

Students who are granted written permission to enroll in a course at another university will be issued a statement of good standing if the other institution requires it. This statement is not a transcript of record.

Transcripts of College Records

All official transcripts of Loyola University academic records are issued by the Office of Registration and Records. For specific instructions to obtain a transcript, please refer to www.luc.edu/regrec.

Withdrawal from the University

An enrolled student who wishes to withdraw from the university during any semester must notify the dean of his/her school either in person or in writing. A student is considered to be in attendance until such notice has been received by the dean or the Director of University Advising. All financial refunds or obligations are dated from the date of the formal notice of withdrawal and not from the date of the last class attended (see Schedule of Classes for tuition refund policy). It is the student's obligation to inform the dean promptly of the intention to withdraw. Telephone messages and/or non-attendance in class are not official notification.

A student may be required to withdraw from the university because of academic deficiency, lack of sufficient progress toward completion of degree requirements, failure to adhere to university requirements and/or degree requirements, failure to adhere to university requirements and regulations for conduct, or failure to meet financial obligations to the university.

Withdrawal from a Class

After the official late and change of registration period ends, official withdrawals from class are made only with the permission of the appropriate dean and according to the procedure for change in registration.

Students who stop attending a class but have not officially withdrawn will receive the final grade of "WF," which is a penalty grade and equivalent to a grade of "F". Students will incur full financial obligation to the university. Voluntary and repeated unofficial withdrawals from class may result in the student being barred from further attendance in the university. Students may withdraw from class with the final grade of "W" through the first ten weeks of the semester or first four weeks of a summer term.

Students contemplating official withdrawal from a class and receiving or expecting to receive financial assistance should consult with the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Military Service

Students who have been called into the armed services of the United States and who are consequently withdrawing from the university before the end of the withdrawal period will receive a refund of all tuition and fees paid for the period in question but no academic credit. If they withdraw after the end of the withdrawal period, they will receive full academic credit for the semester with grades as of the date of withdrawal but no refund of tuition.